


A Peculiar Bird

by TroyBolton



Series: P. T. Barnum's Circus For Peculiar People [1]
Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Other, PT "Am I doing this right? Maybe." Barnum, Phillip "I carry clay hearts but thats not weird" Carlyle, Shapeshifting, They're both fools but is that surprising? I think not., idk man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 15:08:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14428149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TroyBolton/pseuds/TroyBolton
Summary: Northern red cardinal were not often seen in New York. In fact they didn’t even live in the area as far as Phillip Carlyle was aware. Yet he always managed to spot a single male anywhere he went





	A Peculiar Bird

Northern red cardinal were not often seen in New York. In fact they didn’t even live in the area as far as Phillip Carlyle was aware. Yet he always managed to spot a single male anywhere he went. Its red plumage bright against the dimly colored buildings of the city.

He never thought much of the bird really. That was until he noticed it everywhere he looked. Near the theater, outside the window of the bar he regularly stopped by, even near his parents home. The bird was always there.

But why?

He didn't even know how the thing was still alive. It was clear there were no female of its kind around for it to mate. Was it even mating season? Well Carlyle couldn’t tell you, he's not a bird expert. One thing that started to stand out to him about this bird however, was the fact that it never sung its sweet song unless around a old burned down museum. Maybe it mourned the death of a loved one? Or maybe it mourned the sight of the ash among the pavement where the building once stood.

Phillip didn’t bother to ask it. He's a playwright not a fool who thought he could talk with animals. The birds song still intrigued him however and pulled him to the old place. He shook the feeling of being called and continued on with his day.

Write. Preform. Drink. Home. Repeat.

On one incredibly late night Phillip managed to come across a rather tall man with an injured arm. Initially he planned on walking home and leaving this man be, but then he caught sight of his coat. Bright red like that of the bird he saw only hours ago. He stopped in his tracks and huffed, turning around and helping this man to his feet.

“Really shouldn't be messing around in an area like this with a coat like that.” Phillip stated, “That's sure to catch the attention of people you don't want to mess with.” The man snorted back at him.

“I’ve had worse. Besides, this injury wasn’t caused on purpose. It was an accident between me and a horse.”

“A horse?” Phillip frowned, “What fool ends up injured by a horse? Let alone by a horse in a area like this?”

“Well when you're a peculiar who spends most of your time as a bird, it's very easy to accidentally spook a horse.”

“Peculiar?” This was confusing. Was this man insane? Maybe the horse hit him on the head and not only the arm.

“I'm sorry I’ve neglected to introduce myself. My name is Phineas T. Cardinal. Though in this year you would know me as P.T. Barnum.” he stuck out his good hand to Phillip, offering a shake. “I believe we have met quite often already. Phillip Carlyle is it?”

Phillip's mouth hung open, his mind running a million miles an hour. He shook himself from his thoughts and took Barnum's hand, “Right uhm..yes thats me. But I don’t believe we’ve met before. I think I would remember someone dressed like….this..” he gestured to Barnum's coat.

“Ah yes well you see, you remember me with feathers and we haven't met..uh..like this quite yet,” he grinned, “But here we are now. How about we go get a drink and I explain everything?”

“Yes well you have a lot to explain then Mr.Barnum because right now you sound like a horse ran over you rather than just stomped on your arm.”

By the time they got to said bar, P.T. had managed to explain most of his situation. How he's a so called ‘peculiar’. How he was a shapeshifter and could only shapeshift into the earlier seen cardinal, and how Phillip himself was also a peculiar and he came to see just what the younger man’s peculiarity was.

“I’m sorry but this is only further proving my point that you're insane.” he took another shot, “Magic isn't real. You really expect me to believe you can transform into a bird?”

“Says the boy who carries clay hearts in his pockets and brings those that are inanimate to life.” Barnum gave Phillip a rather unnamused look. “I'm not a fool Mr.Carlyle, I can tell those puppets run off no strings in your plays.”

“Run off no….” _Oh_. Oh no this man knew too much about him. Suddenly the bird thing didn’t sound insane. “Listen I don’t know who you are but I...it's late and I need to go.”

“What's keeping you here Phillip? Is this really what you want, to be stuck in a constant loop with no sort of adventure in your life? Between you and me that sounds fairly boring.” Barnum's words felt like daggers. “You should come with me. My circus is a safe place for any peculiar! You wouldn't only be surrounded by people like us, but you would have so much more to do with your life.Things would be so much brighter.”

“Yeah well maybe I like my life here.” Phillip snapped back at the older man, causing the other to slightly jump at the sudden rise of his voice. “I..I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just waltz on into my life and act like you can make things better! So I carry clay hearts around, anyone can do that.”

“Yes but they _don't_. Especially someone out of a wealthy and respectable family. You need to face the truth Phillip, you would be safer with me anyway.”

“I only just met you and you were run over by a horse! Who just casually gets run over by a horse and then tells someone like me that they can protect him!? You’re insane.” With that, Carlyle grabbed his coat and hat and swiftly left the bar.

Barnum was left with a bruised arm and a hundred questions.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi I'm some dude writing some shit fics. I would tag more if my tablet let me hhh.  
> Enjoy I suppose. This is not a Barlyle fic just to make it clear.
> 
> If you see something wrong please hmu and tell me.


End file.
